[Rhodes22-list] Bald Eagles!

[Roger Pihlaja]

Hi Everybody,

I was sitting here at my computer working on some internet job searches when I looked out my window just in time to see a mature male bald eagle land in the tree right above my dock!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  I've lived on Sanford Lake since 1977 & have never seen a bald eagle here until now.  I jumped up to go get my 35 mm camera.  I got back just in time to see a female bald eagle join this male (a nesting pair perhaps?!?).  The female eagle didn't land in the tree.  Instead, she began diving on a flock of about 12 bufflehead ducks, which were in the water feeding on the sandbar about 100 yards off our beach.  The male eagle joined her & you should have seen the ducks scatter in all directions!  My 35 mm camera takes several seconds to boot up from a cold start.  By the time the camera was ready to shoot, the action had moved off down the lake out of range.  I went out on our deck with my binoculars & saw both eagles snare ducks in their talons in mid flight!  They both flew off with a duck in their talons in same southerly direction down the lake!  It was totally cool.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium